Beginning in 1877, the Take Back the Night march, hosted by Ruthe Boyea Women’s Center, has served as a night of community and solidarity.
Held in Devil’s Den as an annual event for the past 35 years, Women’s Center staff Breanna Hermitte, Inovic Lenge, Khairi Davis-Shabazz and Loretta Santora led the April 21 program, giving those who have experienced sexual violence, harassment and stalking a platform to speak out.
Lenge explained the importance of hosting an event like this and how it can become a meaningful part of a survivor’s story.
“The significance of giving a platform to survivors is that it allows them to share their stories in a safe and supportive environment,” Lenge said. “This helps break the silence around sexual violence and reminds people that these experiences that survivors have gone through are real and deserve to be heard.”
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and support from outside organizations played a major role in the event.
“It’s basically to raise awareness and foster dialogue,” Hermitte said. “This year, we collaborated with multiple campus and community partners, such as the CCSU Police Department, Title IX and victim advocacy services like the YWCA. We also had one of the residence halls coming in, which is Barrows Hall, and we also had the LGBTQ Center and Student Wellness Services.”
Also present to support those sharing their stories were Zulma R. Toro, Robert Sanchez, Alderwoman Candyce Scott, Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Michael Russo, CCSU Police Officer Kelly Ducharme and keynote speakers from Jane Doe No More.
Speakers emphasized their commitment to combating violence and supporting the mission of taking back the night.
Although speaking publicly about personal experiences can be daunting, Hermitte said the event offers more than just a platform.
“Having this in a public space shows a sense of community. It lets victims know that their voices are important, and it’s important that we listen to them and let them know that we are here, we stand by them and we don’t support sexual assault,” Hermitte said.
Beyond the event itself, CCSU’s Women’s Center provides opportunities for students to grow and develop leadership skills.
“The Women’s Center plays a vital role because it creates a safe and inclusive environment, and we’re here to empower students,” Hermitte said. “We have programming like our health coordinators, our leadership coordinators, and we have our marketing team to help share information on social media.”
Hermitte said her experience working at the Women’s Center since her freshman year has helped shape her professional goals.
“For me personally, starting here as a freshman really impacted me, especially with my leadership skills, since I want to be a lawyer,” Hermitte said. “I was a student leadership coordinator first, and stemming from that experience, I became the president of the Women’s Involvement Club, which is a women’s empowerment club.”
Lenge emphasized that there is no single definition of who can be a victim and that every story deserves to be heard.
“I’m not really a crier or emotional, but during Take Back the Night, hearing the stories, I had a nasty feeling in my gut. It rained inside,” Lenge said. “Hearing these stories shows that these things are real. And it’s not just women, it’s also men. Victims are not defined by race, gender or age. Anyone can become a victim.”
Lenge said his role as an ally motivates him to make a difference in the community.
“A majority of victims are in their family. As someone who wants to go into law enforcement, hearing that, I ask myself how I can help someone in that position,” Lenge said. “It makes me think about how many more victims remain silent and don’t share their voices because they may be scared.”
The march around campus is one of empowerment and one that demands change. Lenge said visibility is essential for an event like this.
“Us doing Take Back the Night is a good thing because it helps people open up, whether it be publicly or confidentially,” Lenge said. “It may not bring closure, but it shows that there are people here who care and that they are not alone.”
